Born in the town of Feodosiya , Crimea, he spent his childhood in poverty. His talent as an artist earned him sponsorship and entry to the Simferopol gymnasium and later the St.Petersburg Academy of arts .

Earning awards for his early landscapes and seascapes, he went on to paint a series of portraits of Crimean coastal towns before travelling throughout Europe. In later life, his paintings of naval scenes earned him a longstanding commission from the Russian Navy .